Piston ring remover



infested May so, 1939 I 2,160,652

UNITED STATES". PATENT OFFICE' PISTON RING REMOVER I Glenn n. Feig'h, chicago, 111., assignor u walter W. Elliotson, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 2, 1937, Serial No. 177,714 s claims.'V (ci. ,e9-ssa) i The invention relates to piston ring removers. tive in its use, and inexpensive to manufacture.' Dimculty has been experienced in removing These being among the objects of the invenand installing the pisto rings of internal com- ,tion, other and further objects will become apbustion engines. The r ngs have to be. expanded parent from the drawing herein, the description 5 .to pass over the head of the piston when rerelating thereto, and the appended'claims. 5

moved or installed and it is important'that such Referring now to the ,drawingi expansion be enough to clear the face of the Fig. 1 is a top plan'oi a piston ring expander piston in order to preventthe face lfrom being illustrating the preferred embodiment of the inscored, yet no more than necessary since too vention; i

' l0 much expansion may break the rings, ormay Fig. 2l is'a sectional view of the Vembodiment l0 highly important when expanding the rings to the ring has been accomplished; conne the spreading movement of each ring'to Fig. 3 is an end view of said embo'dii'nent;V the plane thereof so that the rings will' not be- Fig. 4 is a view similar to that'shown in 1, come distorted transversely in a way which would illustrating'how the embodiment is used to en- 15 develop ring leaks and a radial binding between gage the split ends of a ring located upon a pisthe closely t faces of the ring and groove. ton;

Due to the fact that piston rings have to be Fig. 5 is aview similar to that in Fig. 4, illusreplaced from time to time and there are many trating a safety factor for rings subjected to an different kinds of rings in use, which, although unusual stress. i 20 differing widely in many other respects, can be Referring now to the drawing in further detail, classied as to their relative thicknesses, and the and particularly Figs. 1 andl 2, the embodiment great majority of these can be reduced to four of the invention illustrated is shown as it is classes as to thicknesses, one ofthe objects of used'with a'conventional piston ring Ill.' `The the invention is to provide a single tool which ring I0 is of .the usual construction made of 25 may be used with equal facility to handleany one v"casteiron or semi-steel and provided with a joint of a great number of rings falling within any between two. free ends I 2 lWhich'are rnormally one of four classes as to thicknesses. separated from each other a short distance under Another object of the invention is to provide a the customary expansion tension imposedv upon spring Athe ring out of round. Moreov'en it isv illustrated in^Fi'g. 1, wherein'the expansion of piston ring expander engaging and conning to4 the ring when it is manufactured. .Y 30 a single plane the movement of. the split ends The joint ,of the ring I0 may be a straight cut, of any one of a number of piston rings having a step cut, or a diagonal cut, but in any Vone of different thicknesses. these instances, the cut runs transversely of the Another object of the invention is to provide ring in a radial direction whereby the extremity' an improved tool for spreading piston rings, of each end I2 is either a radialedge or a radial 35 which engages the split ends of a piston ring and face, and the extremities of both ends form an holds the ring against slippageother than that angle at the center of the ring which increases created by an undue strain upon the ring. as the ends I2 are spread.

Another object of the invention is to. provide a. The piston ring expander embodying the in- 40 speader for piston rings which engages rall ravention comprises two rectilinear telescoping 40 dially cut split-joint rings in approximately iden- I parts I4 and I6 of different lengths, the inner tical manner throughout a series of rings having one I4 being the longer of thetwo. The cross v different thicknesses. sectional contour of the parts is correspondingly Another object-of the invention is to provide polygonal to prevent relative rotation, and prefan improved `piston ring tool which enlarges the erably square to provide four sides I8 for a pur- 45 diameter of a piston ring uniformly withinthe pose toV be later discussed at greater length. stress limits thereof and restricts the strain im- The two parts are reciprocated relative to each posed thereon to the plane of thel ring. other, such as by hand 20, and to this end, are

Another object of the 'invention is to provide provided with suitable handles secured to correa piston ring expander readily available to selecsponding ends 22 and 24 of the parts, a washer- 50A tive use with piston rings of 'different sizes, shapes like handle 26 being secured to part I6 as b v and diameters. welding or the like, andaV disk-like handle 28 Another object of the invention is lto provide by a lug 30 and peened portion 32,. a device of the classdescribed, which is simple The opposite end 34 of the inner part I4 is in construction and operation, thoroughly efiec' provided with a shortsection 36 of tubular stock 55 like the part I6, and this short section is welded on the part Il with the part I6 traversable a substantial distance on the part' Il between the limits provided by the section 36 at one end and 5 lan expansion spring I, 38 disposed between the handles 26 and 28 at the other end, the spring 3l predisposing an abutting relationship between the part I6 and the section 36.

At their abutting ends the part I6 and sec- 10 tion 36 are constructed reversely Aidentical to each other by portions thereof being bent radially and appreciably reversely upon themselves fr" at'42 to provide pairs of shoulders 40,9, pair for each face I8, insertable between and engaging the ends I2 of the ring I0, whereby gripping4 pressure'ofthe hand 20 on the handles 26 and 28 willexpand the ring I0 to enlarge its diameter for.` sliding the ring over the wall I4 of va piston such as thatindicated by the numeral 46 in 2o Fis. 4.

, 'I'he heights of the several pairs of shoulders Il are closely approximate to the different radialdirnensions 'of the four major'divisions of the conventional rings, and their widths correspond to the correlatve thicknesses of the rings.

The 'reverse bending -of. the shoulders lll is such that the faces I8 thereof which contact the' ends I2 of the ring are inclined appreciably with respect to each other at an angle tapering away `30 from the ringv Illso that the radial contours of `vthe ends I2 ofthe ring are contacted at approximately their inner edges, with the end of the ring supported between the edge 50 ofthe shoulder I0 and the face 52 of the member from.

-whichfA the shoulder is formed.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen how this construction engages and holds the end of the ring Il up to a predetermined point when the ends I2 of the rings are cockederadially to a 0 stress danger point where the face 4B of the part 36 operates to free the end I2 over the edge 5l of the shoulder 40 before the stress danger point of the ring is reached.

Moreover, as. the ring is expanded more and 4I more, the incline of the faces 4s tends to hold the ends I2 with .increasing effectiveness, against the increasing tendency of the ring to spring away from the shoulders d'sp'reading it. As the, r-adlal dimension of the end of the ring crosssection ,foreshortens relative to the shoulder 40 under increasing expansion," theinner edge of the rings is permitted to creep down the face 4l of the shoulder l0 away from the edge 5.4i -In this way, the expander assures the distribution of the` expansion strains evenly throughout the c length of the ring,'from e'nd to end. In addition to this, the invention secures the rings against sudden releases dangerous.to mechanics and other nearby workmen. Reversely identical pairs of channel members 56 are secured with their included sides against the several faces I8 vof the section 36 and part I6. The widths of the four different pairs of 5` channels `.differ according to thefour commonly 6 encountered thicknesses of conventional piston rings. The channel portions are disposed with their longitudinal contours parallel with the axis of the. telscoping., members and their adjacent 7o endsare closed by the shoulders Ill.' The sids 5I of each pair of channel members engage the sides 6l of a ring having corresponding dimensions to prevent a transverse springing of the ringsl when expanded by 'the shoulders 40.

15 Moreover, the sides 58 gradually increase in height in a manner somewhat following the circular contour of the ring on each side of the shoulders 40. 'I'his provides a more perfect securement of the ring against transverse springing so that dangers arising out of a careless handling of the tool are'minimized. Rings of f Then the ring III is brought to a position above the piston 46 and expanded additionally just enough to clear, without scraping, the face- 4l 'of the pistoni. 'I'he ring is lowered to the groove intended and the opposite side of the ring pressed into the groove (see Fig. 4),whereupon the separator is relieved of the grip and the ends permitted to close to their normal position.

In removing the ring, the reverse of the above takes place, in which the opposite side of the ringris'pressed as shown in Fig.'4 to expose fully the' ends of the ring, the shoulders 40 inserted therebetween, and the ring spread sufficiently to be removed over the face o-f-the piston.

'I'hus it will .be observed that with the invention a large Avariety of piston rings canbe installed with equal and ,identical facility, with no danger" of the effects of localized strains and stresses, and little, if any, danger to workmen. Moreover, the successful installation of rings may be done assuredly well-,within the tolerances permitted 'for the expansion of rings in the process, v

In this way, the invention not only provides structural features advantageous in the handling of any particular ring, but also provides a single tool for use with any one of a number of different rings since it is use with any oneof a number of different rings by merely rotating the forearm of the hand holding the tool'. Moreover, the tool may beusedfcr a single ring upon either slide of the piston without need for the laborious and time-consuming operation of turning the ring around in its groove to a single point convenient for the' operator. A mere half rotationof the forearm brings the same channel member -in place on either side' of the piston, and the construction of the handles is such that the tool may be gripped in any one of a universal number of ways.

Consequently, although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various and further uses, modifications and changes may be made without departing fromV the .spirit and substance ofthe invention, the 'scope of which is commensurate with longitudinally therewith, portions of said polygonal member being bent appreciably back uponV themselves to a position covering the end of each of said channel `members intermediate the, ends 4of saldelongated member, asecond polygonal made ready for such Y' of said channel members member reciprocably mounted on said elongated member having a construction reversely identical to said first polygonal member, resilient means normally holding said polygonal members in abutting relationship, and means ior separating said. polygonal members at will.

2. A piston ring expander, comprising an elongated member, an element secured thereto at one end thereof, channel members secured to said element around its perimeter and having parallel sides aligned longitudinally therewith, portions of said element being bent to a position covering the end of each of said channel members intermediate the ends of said elongated member, a second member reciprocably mounted on said elongated member against relative rotation and having a construction reversely identical to said ilrst member, channel members secured to said second member in reverse symmetry to said tlrst mentioned channel members, resilient means normally holding said element and said second members in abutting relationship, and means for separating same at will.

3. A piston ring exp'ander comprising an elongated member having a square cross-sectional contour, an element secured to said elongated member at one end thereof, channel members secured to said element around the perimeter thereof and having parallel sides aligned longitudinally therewith, portions of said element being bent to a position covering the end of each intermediate the ends of said elongated member, a second polygonal member reciprocably mounted on said elongated member having secured thereto channel members andbent portions reversely identical to those of said element, resilient means normally holding said element and second polygonal member in abutting relationship, and means for separating same at will.

'4. A piston ring expander comprising an elongated member having a polygonal cross-sectional contour, a polygonal member of similar contour secured thereto at one end thereof, channel members secured to said polygonal member, each to a side thereof and having parallel sides aligned longitudinally therewith, portions of said polygonal member being bent to a position covering the end of each of said channel members intermediate the ends of said elongated member, a second polygonal member reclprocably mounted on said elongated member having a construction reversely identical to said iirst polygonal member, resilient means normally holding said polygonal members in abutting relationship, and means for separating said polygonal members at will.

5. A spreader for piston rings comprising two normally abutting members reciprocable relative to each other along a rectilinear axis and held against relative rotation, a plurality of peripherally spaced channel members having different widths secured to said members in reversely identical pairs both members of each of said pairs being aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, means integral with said abutting members closing adjacent ends of each oi' said pairs of channel members for engaging the ends of cut piston rings and holding said rings in a predetermined relation, and manual means for reciprocating said abutting members.

6. A spreader for piston rings comprising two normally abutting members reciprocable relative to each other along a rectilinear axis and heid against relative rotation, a pluralityA of peripherally spaced channel members secured to said members in reversely identical pairs and having different widths to accommodate rings of differing axial thicknesses, both members of each of said pairs being aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, means closing adjacent ends of each of said pairs of channel members for engaging the ends of eut piston rings and holding said rings in a predetermined relation, and manual means for reciprocating said abutting members.

GLENN H. FEIGH. 

